Fernando Amorebieta

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Fernando Amorebieta
Fernando amorebieta.jpg
Personal information
Full name Fernando Gabriel Amorebieta Mardaras
Date of birth 29 March 1985 (1985-03-29) (age 26)
Place of birth Cantaura, Venezuela
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Centre back
Club information
Current club Athletic Bilbao
Number 5
Youth career
1995–1996 Colegio San Miguel
1996–2003 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2003–2004 Baskonia 26 (1)
2004–2005 Bilbao Athletic 35 (1)
2005– Athletic Bilbao 169 (2)
National team‡
2004 Spain U19 4 (0)
2011– Venezuela 4 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 December 2011.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 December 2011
This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Amorebieta and the second or maternal family name is Mardaras.

Fernando Gabriel Amorebieta Mardaras (born 29 March 1985 in Cantaura, Anzoátegui) is a Spanish-Venezuelan footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao as a central defender.

He played most of his professional career with Athletic Bilbao, appearing in more 200 official games. Internationally, Amorebieta played for Spain at youth level, but later decided to represent his country of birth in senior international games.

Contents

[edit] Club career

Amorebieta met Athletic Bilbao's eligibility standards, having been raised in the Basque Country, and through his parents, both of whom are from the region. He made his first team debut in 2005–06, becoming an undisputed first-choice in the subsequent La Liga seasons.

Amorebieta played in a total of 47 official matches in 2009–10, helping Athletic reach the round of 32 in the season's UEFA Europa League, as well as an 8th-place finish in the league; he collected 18 yellow cards in the process, being sent off twice.

[edit] International career

[edit] Spain

Amorebieta was part of the Spanish U19 squad that won the UEFA European Football Championship in 2004.[1] In August 2008, he was called up by new senior team manager Vicente del Bosque for a friendly against Denmark,[2] but did not leave the bench.

[edit] Venezuela

In late 2006, Amorebieta expressed his interest in playing for the Venezuelan national team.[3] However, according to FIFA rules at the time, he should have switched his affiliation prior to the age of 21, having previously played for Spain's youth teams.[4] FIFA removed the rule in 2009,[5] and talks between the player and the Venezuelan Football Federation resumed.

Finally, on 2 September 2011, Amorebieta made his senior debut in a friendly with Argentina, a 0–1 loss.[6] On 11 October, against the same opponent, in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, he scored in a 1–0 home win, which signified Venezuela's first-ever win against the Albiceleste in the tournament.[7]

[edit] Basque Country

Amorebieta also played for the Basque Country national team (a non-FIFA affiliate), debuting precisely against Venezuela, in San Cristóbal on 20 June 2007.[1] The friendly match, a 4–3 Basque win, was the grand opening for the 43,000 all-seated Pueblo Nuevo Stadium, after two years of construction for the 2007 Copa América.

[edit] International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 11 October 2011 Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela  Argentina 1–0 1–0 2014 World Cup qualification

[edit] Honours

Athletic Bilbao
Spain U19

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Amorebieta; Athletic's official website
  2. ^ Amorebieta e Iraola, sorpresas en la lista de Del Bosque (Amorebieta and Iraola, surprises in Del Bosque's list); Marca, 14 August 2011 (Spanish)
  3. ^ Fernando Amorebieta dispuesto a jugar ya con Venezuela (Fernando Amorebieta willing to play for Venezuela immediately); Marca, 19 December 2006 (Spanish)
  4. ^ Fernando Amorebieta no podrá jugar con la selección de Venezuela como quería (Fernando Amorebieta will not be able to play with Venezuelan national team as he intended); Marca, 19 January 2007 (Spanish)
  5. ^ Age limit on players switching nations is removed; ESPN Soccernet, 4 June 2009
  6. ^ Amorebieta debuta con Venezuela (Amorebieta makes Venezuela debut); Marca, 2 September 2011 (Spanish)
  7. ^ Venezuela hizo historia a costa de una desorientada y cansada Argentina (Venezuela makes history at the expense of tired and dizzy Argentina); La Capital, 11 October 2011 (Spanish)

[edit] External links

Athletic Bilbao – current squad
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